Prize Problem.—6l6.

Otago Witness, Issue 1866, 26 August 1887, Page 28

Prize Problem.— 6l6.

f Conducted by Mb David R. Hay.]

It is very gratifying to find that this problem liiw created so much interest among players In all paits of the colony, and it would have been still more so had one of the 46 solutions received ' been correct.. When the following .history of this remarkable position is perused, the non-successof our solvers ill not be so much wondered at. In our examination of the solutions we had the benefit of the services of Mr Wm. Houston, President of the Dunedin Chess and Draughts Club. We consider that the solutions of J: T. Turner, of Waitahuna ; Peter Kelson, Lovcli's Plat ; J. Bruce, New Plymouth; E. Harrison,, * aihola; and Mrs Henry Mathie, Pukeuri, deserve commendation, the play of the latter bringing about a very pretty finish.

Solution of Pkoblem 616. Black 3, Kings 1, 19 ; White 29, 32, King 11

(a) " Problemist" in the Board, plays 27 23 at this point, allowing White to di aw by 8 12, \nstead of 8 4, his succeeding Black move, '" (b) Signifies White's best move. The asterisks denote Black's.o/jZjMnoyes k> win. The position waa first entered in the Cleveland Bun problem contest by Mr Qurley as a draw, awl

w as awarded second prize by Mr C. Hefter. The nri/e was afterwards forfeited, owing to the clever work of the far-searching George Dick, who, by most brilliant play, demonstrated it to be a Black win, and f hprpbv earned a 20-dollar wager. Before Messrs TOek and hurley had settled the result of f lie nrnUem the drau'^htsdepattment in the Sun was discontinued, and the win was not published. We next find the problem as No. 65 in The Board, one of '•Three Hard Nuts ' given by " Problemißt, who o^pmDted to give, for the first time, the true result, hiit failed, according to Mr Gurley, who now re"blishes the position in the reporter. P v was afterwards published in the Leeds Weekly Mprcurv as Problem 567, as will be seen from the statement given below, and as n number of our Bolvers have fallen into the same enors as their Wish" brethren o'^the brod"the notes and remarks are sure to prove interesting. j PEOBLBM f>67.— PRIZE AWARD. I All the competing s >lutions to Problem No. 567 have been found to be incorrect, so that no one is | entitled to the prize. Mr E Chapman's solution is , the beat arranged and most complete, and therefore ; we have decided to award him. by way of encouragement a copy of Messrs Schaefrr and Keli> s "Paisley" Upon our examination of thecompffing solutions eight only of the 57 received were found to run upon the correct hue of nlavnamely, these sent respectively by Messrs b. Chapman (Bedale),H. Parsons (Blackpool), J. M;Callum (Kitty-Brewster), J. Marr (Leith) J. Thomson (Sheffield), P. Maunion (Sheffield), and W. H. Moody (no address). They were submitted to Mr Willie Gardner, who, after a most careful and painstaking examination, announces his decision, as folloW: ~ «, T0 THE DRAUGHTS' EDITOR. „ g; ri i have given my best attention to the Ptoht solutions sent to me for adjudication Nona of them are correct, deveu allow White to draw; the rpmainine one. by Mr C. Prowse, is sound, but Kivesfnfy the very worst defences that White can adopt, and so must be disqualified. Mr J. M'Callen's play is move for move same as the incorrect solution published in the Board, and reproduced some time back in the Blyth News, to which your note accompanying Problem No. 567 referred. How \\ this friend John ? Five competitors err in the ol owing position :-B 15, K. 2, 19 ; W 17, 81. X 8. White to move. Four of them play 8 11, or 17 13; the fifth. Mr Parsons, give* the correct move, 17 14, bub continues, 2 7, 14 9.7 11, 8 3, and after a few more moves leaves it as » B win, whereas 812 instead of 8 3 draws. In conclusion I would advise some of your correspondents, should they again compete in a solufciou tourney, to pay more attention to the arrangement of their play, and bo sure to narefullv revise their solutions betore sending them. I venture to say, Mr Editor, that were you you to be so careless with the figures in your column, many of your readers would soon complain.— Willik GardN w' c cordially thank Mr Gardner for placing his servcesat our disposal in this matter, and for his careful and laborious examination of the solutions submitted to him. We must say that we are rather surprised at the result. That the problem was a difficult one its history showed; but we were all the more inclined on that account to think that our solvers wouU be careful to master its intricacies, and confess to a feeling of disappointment that such is not the case. The solutions not submitted to Mr Gardner were nearly all of them on one or other of the lines of play embodied in the two variations which follow, and show that the senders had made but a very superficial examination of the problem :—

(a) Overlooking the fact that 17-14 draws easily.— Draughts Editor, Leeds Mercury. Subjoined is Mr Chapman's solution, with Mr Gardner's notes, pointing out the errors in his play. Studied in conjunction with the author s solution, aiven at the head of the column, it will enable our readers to obf am a good insight into the subtle ramiiications of the interesting problem, and is also a very instructive lesson in critical end-play. I osi-tlon:-Blaok 3, Kings 1,19; White 29, 32, King 1). Black to move.

Mr Ch^pman'6 move,

(a) This allows a draw ; 15 11 is the only move to WI ("j White should play 12 8 here, which forces tho draw — W. G.

(c) 31 26 is the correct play here. (d) IS ais the best here, followed by 31 26, 9 5, 1 10, U 15, 10 14, &c, B wins.— W. G.

(A) This move allows a draw by 20 16, 12 19, 11 10, &c. ; 14 18 instead, maintains the win.— W. G.

(p) Tills allows a draw ; 15 11 is the correct play. ( r) 17 14 forces the draw here — W. G.

B wins. Continue this variation with 3 8, and White draws • 10 M at last move maintains the win.— W.G.

A number of our solvers have said that it has proved a, veritable " Will o' the Wisp " to them, aud that they have spent many happy hours in trying to solve its rnyateries. We may mention that we have forwarded to Mrs Henry Mathie, Pukeuri Point, a copy ot Messrs Gardner and Leggett's Analysis of the " Will o' the Wisp "as a memento of her ingenious play, aud we hope to bn favoured with more solutions from lady competitors in future.

•*1 6 812(6) 29 25(6)*1511 *6 2 32 28(6) 25 21(6), 2 6 *3 7 28 2-4 11 8 ' *10 15 *7 10 24 20(6) 2117(6)*1518 *19 15 12 16 1115 1612 18 23 20 16 23 27 . 12 S(a) 27 31. 1611 • "31 27. 11 7 *6 2 7 3 *27 2l 8 4 2119* 3 8 2 6---8 3 15 11 ' 8 3 3 8 15 10 1915 4 & 8 3 10 17 6 9 310 3 8 17 H 913 10 17 17 14 13 22 11 7 B wins.

32 27 2 « 8 3 15 11 27 23 0 9 17 13 9 5 2318 10 15

H)8 3 1519 17 H 18 22 27 23 26 31 710 2217 1518 3 8 19 15 5 1 (/)32 27 1015 14 9 22 26 9 5 312b (f) If 22 17, 10 14, &c, B wins, same as varia40u(5). (3) 32 27 710 15 6 914 8 11 1519 1815 2 9 24 20(A)1410 22 18 19 16 (ff)27 24 16 12 B wins. ( «> 27 23. 9 14. 83. 16 11, 23 19, 14 10, &C, B wins

16 6 9 IE) 25 (1)25 21 25 22 9H 32 2f 914 HIS 32 23 21 17 (1) 14 9(a)l7M 2V117 6 1 9 6 13 9 18 23 17 14 1 5 9 6 3 7 19 24 13 wins 11 2 5 1 B wins.

1 6 !9 25 25 22 3 7 11 8 19 15 (1)8 12 tayi 11 (4)32 27 1519 6)22 18 1!>23 12 8 21 14 8 15 11 10 B wins

[2)22 17 T 10 '5)17 13 " 2 6 8 12 1519 12 8 1015 811 15 18 11 7 28 31 18 22 7 11 7 11 (c)B 1 22 26(</)ll 7 11 7 19 15 7 2 1511 13 9 1 6 9 5 6 1 32 26 3127 B wine.

32 2B 2 6 </)8 11 20 24 1815 1923 15 10 (A)l2 8 16 20 (n)7 2 10 14 B wins. 22 18 111G(W)11 7 610 1511 (ft) 18 14, 11 15, 12 8, 15 18, &c, B wins (0 8 12, 10 20, 12 8, 6 10, 8 12, 19 23, &c, B wins (m) 11 3, 6 10, 18 15, 10 7, &c, B wins 00 7 3, (J 2, 3 6, 19 23, &c, B wins (5) (6) 8 3 17 10 3 8 32 28 28 24 24 20 1014 15 6 2 7 610 1015 711 (6) B wins (7) 8 12 12 8 (r)8 11 17 13 11 7 7 2 (p)ISUI 1015 15 18 2 6 18 23 6 1